B y Mark Rhoads -
Almost every single news report in any news media outlet including Fox News that covers the Chick-fil-A story usually begins with an anchor claiming that the company CEO Dan Cathy made "anti-gay" remarks in some interview. In two interviews, Cathy never even said the word "gay" or "gay marriage" but only talked about his belief in traditional marriage. Below are his remarks from two interviews in full:
In his first interview with the Biblical Recorder newspaper later reprinted in the Baptist Press, Dan Cathy said this:
"We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that"
Cathy also was interviewed a few days later on a syndicated radio program based in Gaiinesville, Georgia called "The Ken Coleman Show" reports Steven Nelson at the Daily Caller:
“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.' I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about."
Dan Cathy is no where found making any remarks on the record that advocate any hatred toward gay couples or advocating any discrimination against gays in his business. Self-appointed radical gay leaders and ignorant politicians such as Mayor Rahm Emanuel who pander to radical gays have over-reacted against not only Cathy's remarks but against his entire company with a an irrational hatred of their own that far exceeds anything they falsely claim about the impact of his pro-traditional family remarks. Emanuel might be a smart politician but he is also an intelectually stupid buffoon who seems unable to grasp the concept of free speeech that is protected by the First Amendment. We are now told that any view that is not personally approved by Emanuel, he can declare as anviolating his personal definition of "Chicago values" and therefore members of a company headed by a person with views that are personally offensive to Emanuel may not do business in the City of Chicago.
Emanuel has embraced the worst kind of irrational demagoguery and he should be called on it constantly as long as he abuses his office as mayor. Emanuel pretends to be a shining liberal and liberals used to believe in tolerance for dissenting views. But Emanuel's actions speak louder than words and his hatred toward Dan Cathy and his company shows Rahm Emanuel really belongs in the company of Huey Long, George Corley Wallace, Theodore Bilbo, and other famous intolerant demagogues in the Democratic Party during the last 100 years.
